The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for monitoring the operation of a component which is located in a sealed enclosure.
Many types of systems include movable components which are not accessible from outside the system and whose operational status cannot be readily determined. This is frequently the case in fluid-flow systems which, by their nature, contain flow-control components that are not accessible from the exterior, at least while the system is in operation.
It is known to monitor the operating state of components in a fluid-flow system indirectly by monitoring the fluid pressure upstream and downstream of the component, and/or the velocity of fluid-flow past the component. Such monitoring systems are relatively costly and are themselves prone to failure and malfunction. Moreover, each such monitoring device communicates with the fluid-flow path through an opening which must itself be sealed.